Greece

Family Sailing in Mediterranean

Greece/Athens

The Saronic Gulf and Eastern Peloponnesus
The Saronic route is highly recommended for easy sailing, especially in July and August for avoiding the strong winds blowing down in the Cyclades, also for a shorter break of less than two weeks. Along this route you will find many Cosmopolitan towns, ancient temples, Byzantine castles, small fishing ports and unspoiled anchorages.From the base in Athens, Kalamaki marina, you can follow two main sailing routes: The Saronic route and the Cyclades route. The Saronic islands of Aegina, Poros, Angistri, Hydra, Dokos, Spetses and the Peloponnesian coast offer smooth sailing sheltered from strong winds.

You should not miss a visit to Poros, Hydra, Spetses, also Yerakas, Leonidion, Monemvasia (referred to as the Greek Gibraltar), Elaphonissos and Kithira will also surprise you for their natural beauty, sandy beaches, the totally unspoiled and friendly small ports and peaceful anchorages.

The Meltemi (winds from the North usually strong especially in July and August) does not blow as regularly as it does in the Cyclades or the Dodecanese, if it does blow from North to North East, its strength is usually about force 4-5, it is normally less around the Methana peninsula and Poros.If the Meltemi does not blow, the wind is generally from the South, force 2-3. In the Hydra Gulf and Argolic Gulf, the wind is mostly from the South East, blowing force 3-5 dying down at night. On the Eastern Peloponnesus coast, the wind may be a weak Meltemi from the North East or a southerly usually from the South East. During spring and autumn, the winds are normally weaker and from the South over the whole area

Athens

Athens. The city with the most glorious history in the world, a city worshipped by gods and people, a magical city. The enchanting capital of Greece has always been a birthplace for civilization. It is the city where democracy was born and most of the wise men of ancient times. The most important civilization of ancient world flourished in Athens and relives through some of the world’s most formidable edifices.

Who hasn’t heard of the Acropolis of Athens? Photos and history of the most famous archaeological monument in Europe have made the world tour causing feelings of admiration by thousands of people. Acropolis is nominated to be one of the 7 wonders of modern world. In fact the trademark of Athens is one of the favorites. The Holy Rock of Acropolis dates back to the 5th BC, the famous Golden Age of Periklis. Athens met times of bloom and decline, but still shines under the Attic sky gazing the future. Still sparkling like the marbles of Parthenon and the limpid white of Pentelic marble.

Athens is situated in the prefecture of Attica and extends to the peninsula that reaches up to Central Greece. It is surrounded by mountains Ymmytos, Pendeli and Parnitha, northwards and eastwards, and the Saronic gulf southwards and westwards. The sun is shining over Athens all year round. The climate is one of the best in Europe, with mild winters and very hot summers, ideal for tourism. It is located just a few kilometers from the port of Piraeus, the central commercial port of the capital, and the shores of southern Attica.

Athens is constantly inhabited since Neolithic Age. The 5th century was the time of its ultimate bloom, when moral values and civilization surpassed city limits and became the mother land of western civilization. In the centuries that followed, many conquerors tried to take over Athens. In 1834 Athens was chosen to be the capital of the newly established Greek State. The city that now hosts more than 4,5 million people, was constructed around the Acropolis walls. Today it is the political, social, cultural, financial and commercial center of Greece. Cheap flights make it affordable and easy to reach Athens for vacation or business.

Athens is a city of different aspects. A walk around the famous historic triangle (Plaka, Thission, Psyri) the old neighborhoods, reveal the coexistence of different eras. Old mansions, well-preserved ones and other worn down by time. Luxurious department stores and small intimate shops, fancy restaurants and traditional taverns. All have their place in this city.

The heart of Athens beats in Syntagma Square. Where Parliament and most of the Ministries are. Monastiraki, Kolonaki and Lycabettus Hill attract thousands of visitors all year round. A few kilometers from the historic center in Faliro, Glyfada, Voula and Vouliagmeni, you can enjoy the sea breeze. Or you can head up north and enjoy the fresh air at the more classy neighborhoods of Marousi, Melissia, Vrilissia and of course Kifisia.

Athens and Attica in general have the most important archaeological monuments (Acropolis, Odeion of Herodes Atticus, Olymbion, Roman Market, Panathinaiko Stadium or Kallimarmaro, The Temple of Poseidon in Sounio, etc). In the capital you will admire many imposing neoclassic buildings, true ornaments of the city (The Greek Parliament, Athens Academy and University, etc). Don’t miss visiting the museums hosting unique treasures of our cultural inheritance (Archaeological Museum, Military Museum, Byzantine Museum, etc).

Athens has always attracted peoples’ attention. During the 2004 Olympic Games proved that, despite all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, she never – not once – lost the talent. The return of Olympic Games to their birthplace was a great success.

TThe capital is famous, more than any other European capital, for its nightlife. Athens by night totally changes. The options for entertainment satisfy all tastes. The famous “bouzoukia” are the leaders in the Athenian entertainment. While the numerous theaters all around Athens offer a different type of entertainment. Athens is a divine city. Let it enchant you…

Aegina

The island of Aegina is one of the most popular tourist destinations as it is the closest island to Athens (only 16.5 nautical miles from the port of Piraeus).

According to the myth, the island took its name from a nymph, daughter of the river god Asopos, whom Zeus fell in love with and took with him to the island! From 11/1/1827 until 3/10/1829 Aegina town was the temporary capital of the newly founded Greek state. It was during that period when Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias had impressive neoclassical mansions built to house his headquarters that today are important tourist attractions.

Eventhough the island small, it boasts a great number of sights and natural beauties, highlight of which is the famous Aphea Temple. It forms in fact an equilateral triangle with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the so-called “holy triangle” of the antiquity.

Poros

The town of Poros is built in the shape of an amphitheatre over two hills. In antiquity Poros consisted in fact of two islands, Sphería and Kalávria, but the last explosion of the Méthana volcano in 273 BC radically changed the morphology of the area. Sphería was cut off from Méthana, and in this way Póros took its present-day form. Lush pine trees vegetation, crystal clear beaches, a lively waterfront adorned with shops, cosy cafes and restaurants, a picturesque capital (it has been declared protected settlement) with grand traditional mansions and picturesque cobbled streets, as well as a wide selection of entertainment venues are the ingredients of this quiet, yet cosmopolitan, destination that attracts visitors from all age groups

Hydra

The island of Hydra was and is one of the major centers of artistic creation and at times (especially in the 50s), the island hosted and inspired many artists both from Greece and abroad, who made history.

Both the poet Miltos Sachtouris and the painter Nick Chatzikyriakos Gikas, Pericles Byzantios and Ntikos Byzantios had their origin in Hydra.

Miltos Sachtouris, one of the most important postwar Greek poets, was the great-grandson of Admiral Greek Indepence fight of 1821 Captain George Sachtouris while Gikas was an internationally important painter, sculptor, printmaker, illustrator, writer and academic. H was son of Helen Gikas the princely family. 

Spetses

Spetses, an island boasting a long naval tradition, is famous for its significant contribution to the 1821 War of Independence. It was here that the revolution flag was raised on 3rd April 1821. The island has managed to retain its individual traditional character thanks to its well-preserved grand captain mansions, still bearing eloquent witness to the island’s glorious past. The picturesque old harbour and Dápia, a tourist and commercial centre where the heart of the island’s entertainment beats, are the trademarks of the town of Spetses.